


12 Days of Christmas

by A_Pseudonym



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, Dansen is more a mention but they're there and I love them, F/F, I am Supercorp Trash, I'll make up for the angst I promise, It's gonna be a bunch of gay nonsense, New Year’s Eve, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Pseudonym/pseuds/A_Pseudonym
Summary: Think of this as a "12 Days of Christmas" series, but I get all of December to write them because I don't work well under a time crunch and promised my adviser I'd work on my thesis over winter break. Just more Christmas fluff for all you lovelies, because I can't believe people really read my stuff and I can't thank you enough for that. I hope you enjoy!
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor, Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 84
Kudos: 177





	1. Snowflake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [serendipitouspeach](https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitouspeach/gifts).



> Gifted to my sweet friend for her unfailing encouragement and general fabulousness.

Lena removed her glasses and lightly tossed them onto her desk, their large black frames clattering against the glass surface. She was frustrated. No matter how many times she ran the calculations, her algorithm wouldn’t yield the results she wanted. Rubbing under her eyes, Lena’s fingertips came away tinged with black and her frown deepened. 

_ Smudge-proof eyeliner, my ass.  _

She swung her chair around and gazed out the wall of windows that overlooked the city. The sun was just beginning to rise, peeking from over the horizon and slowly filling her office with its soft glow.

Ever since leaving Metropolis and crossing the country, Lena couldn’t help but notice how different the December sunrise looked in National City. To her, it always was a summer sun. Permanently warm and orange. It never took on that pale glimmer of winter, full of icy pinks and blues. It never glistened off the snow with such intensity that you had to squint as you walked down the street.

She missed the snow, much to her surprise. It was cold and sharp and biting, but it was clean and soft and beautiful too. It covered all the dirt and grime of the long year under a blanket of white, waiting to be molded into something new. Snow marked an end and a beginning every time it fell. 

Lena sighed softly and looked back at her desk. The computer hummed as it worked its way through her algorithm yet again. Her notebook was filled with hurriedly scribbled ideas, possible solutions that hit her like a tidal wave and receded when they didn’t succeed. She wished the pages were blank, untouched. Like snow.

Her tired features softened when she heard a muffled thud on her balcony. 

Supergirl. 

Lena stood and slid back the glass pane, stepping out to meet Kara halfway. 

“Long night or early morning?” Kara asked gently, pulling Lena into her chest. 

“Yes,” Lena murmured back. “There’s so much to do before the holidays.” 

She felt Kara’s arms tighten around her, something Lena knew Kara did to both scold her for working too hard and give her strength to get through the day. It always helped with the latter.

“What about you? Late night or early morning?” 

Kara nuzzled her nose into the top of Lena’s head before turning to look at the rising sun. “Yes.” 

Now Lena chuckled and took a step back, gently squeezing Kara’s hips. “How did you know I was working?” 

“I went home from the DEO and you weren’t there, but I can’t remember the last time you stayed in your apartment alone, so I came here,” Kara replied. 

Lena looked up at Kara and let out a small, amused huff. She couldn’t help but notice that even Kara’s eyes were a summer shade of blue. National City, a place with no winter. 

_ She does make you melt. And set you on fire _ .

“What are you thinking about?” 

Jarred from her drifting thoughts, Lena focused on Kara again for a moment. “You,” she said, lightly kissing the corner of Kara’s lips before stepping over toward the railing to look out over the city. “And winter. The holidays feel different here without snow.” 

Kara followed, her cape fluttering gently in the morning breeze. “Do you miss it?” she asked thoughtfully. 

Lena leaned her head against Kara’s arm. “Yes and no. I miss what it represented: a changing of the seasons, a moment of quiet, a chance to start over. Not because of a new year starting, but just…” 

“Because it makes the world look like an empty canvas?” 

Lena nodded. 

Kara was silent for a moment. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll be back.” 

So Lena waited, only leaving the balcony to check her computer and start brewing a fresh pot of coffee for when Kara returned. 

The sun was rising steadily, glinting off windows and filling the city with light, when Kara landed on the balcony once again. She held a small package in her hands. 

“Where did you go?” Lena asked lightly, tilting her head. 

“What you said, about the snow - It gave me an idea,” Kara started. She looked down at the box and raised one hand to her face, as if to push her glasses up her nose. 

Lena tried to hide her smile. Kara only did that around Lena when she was feeling shy. 

“Merry Christmas. Early, I guess,” Kara said, holding the box out to Lena. 

Lena took it and opened it, removing a small glass vial mounted inside a metal stand. It was cool to the touch and emitted a soft blue glow. 

“What is it?”

“Look closely.” 

She held the vial up to her face, and her green eyes brightened. “Kara! How did you manage this?”

Kara blushed and ducked her head. “It’s from the Fortress of Solitude. A small cryostasis chamber, more or less.” 

Lena peered into the glass again, unable to contain her smile as she looked at it in wonder. A single, perfect snowflake sparkled back at her. 

“Thank you,” she breathed. 

Kara stepped forward, wrapping herself around Lena like before. “I thought you could put it on your desk here, to give you a moment’s quiet when you need it. Or to remind you that you can always start fresh when you get frustrated with a project.” 

Lena leaned into the embrace and murmured in agreement. 

But she already knew, the only thing the snowflake would ever remind her of was Kara.


	2. The More the Merrier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys. I'm sorry for the angst. I promised you fluff and this happened instead. I swear the fluff will return, and hopefully you enjoy this chapter anyway.

This wasn’t what Christmas was supposed to be like this year. None of this was what it was supposed to be like. 

Alex ran her hand through her short hair and sighed. She eyed the bottle of whiskey sitting on her counter and poured a second shot. Or maybe it was her third. 

She wasn’t supposed to have to spend her nights alone anymore. So  _ fucking _ alone. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket just as she set her glass back down. Alex hesitated, knowing who it was. Kara had texted half a dozen times earlier in the evening, but Alex didn’t want her sister to see her like this. She still had some dignity. 

Ignoring her phone, she grabbed the bottle and her glass and moved to the couch, savoring the warm burn of alcohol on the back of her throat because it let her feel something other than missing Maggie.

A soft knock at the door twenty minutes later made Alex raise her head off the armrest. 

“Alex?” Kara called from the other side. “I know you’re home. Can I come in?” 

Alex laid her head back down without responding, loosely swirling the glass in her hand. It wouldn’t matter if she told Kara no, and she couldn’t help but snort when she heard keys jangle and turn against the lock after a moment of silence.

Kara’s head poked through the doorway, her forehead already creased with concern. “Hey,” she said quietly. 

“Hey.” 

“You didn’t respond to any of my texts.” 

Alex shrugged, knowing she wasn’t being fair to her sister, but not really caring at the moment. 

“So can I come in?” Kara asked, still lingering at the door. “I’ve brought the only two men you’ve ever really loved with me.” She pulled a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream out of the bag she carried. 

Alex sat up, downing the last swallow in her glass. “Sure, the more the merrier,” she said bitterly. 

Kara crossed the room and sat down next to Alex, sliding the whiskey out of her sister’s reach. 

“I’m fine,” Alex grumbled. 

“Like hell you are!” Kara responded immediately. 

Alex blinked. She had expected sweetness, soothing, consolation from her sister. She hadn’t expected anger. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell,” Kara sighed. “I just don’t want you to shut me out. I know you’re not fine, you shouldn’t have to be fine, because this  _ sucks _ .” 

Alex tightened her jaw and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

“Alex, hey, it’s okay to let go. I’m right here,” Kara murmured, scooting closer to wrap her arm around Alex’s shoulder and rest their heads together. 

The warmth of her sister’s embrace caused Alex’s composure, her feigned apathy, to crack. She curled into Kara’s arms and cried, grieving for all the firsts she and Maggie were supposed to have had but would never get. First house. First dog. First baby. And, this year, the first Christmas where Alex would have written “To: My Wife” on every single present. 

Kara held her through all the heartbroken tears, the ones filled with sadness and loss, anger and whiskey. She grounded Alex until her sister’s sobs slowed and she began to breathe more calmly. 

“I miss her so much,” Alex whispered, her voice still cracking slightly. 

“I know,” Kara replied, slowly running her hand up and down Alex’s arm.

“I thought...I thought it was  _ finally _ my turn to be happy.” Alex sat up a little straighter, wiping her eyes. “God, it sounds so  _ stupid _ , but I didn’t think I’d have to wake up another Christmas morning to an empty apartment, show up to another party by myself.” 

“Come stay with us,” Kara said simply. 

“What? No, I couldn’t.” 

“Yes, you can,” Kara insisted, brushing the hair back from Alex’s face. “I know it’s not the same, or even close to what you really wanted, but you wouldn’t be alone. Lena would agree, I guarantee it.” 

Alex turned and stared at the ceramic Christmas tree on her coffee table, the only decoration she could bring herself to stomach. She reached for the whiskey bottle again, but Kara grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. 

“Alex,” Kara warned, her voice still soft but her eyes flashing. “Please. Let us help you through this.” 

Alex’s shoulders drooped, the fight suddenly gone out of her. She allowed Kara to pull her back into a hug. “Thank you,” she said, so softly even Kara almost didn’t hear it. 

Kara nodded against her and starting humming carols, gentle, slow ones that somehow matched the ache in Alex’s chest. 

She closed her eyes and let a few more tears trail silently down her face, anchored by Kara as the effects of the whiskey began to take hold. 

This was definitely not the Christmas she wanted. But, just maybe, it would be the one she needed.


	3. Lights

Lena wandered into the living room, half her attention turned to reading an email on her phone. “Kara, have you seen the extra -”

A heavy thump made her look up. 

“Kara! What are you doing?” 

A disheveled blonde head popped up from behind the couch. Kara grinned sheepishly and raised one arm, revealing a tangle of Christmas lights that looked more complex than several alien gene sequences Lena had studied with Alex. 

“Just decorating!” 

“Well, be careful,” Lena said as a smile pulled at her lips. “We don’t want the floor to get hurt.” 

Kara patted the hardwood gently. “You’re okay, aren’t you, floorboards?” she teased. 

Lena rolled her eyes and stepped to peer over the edge of the couch. “Honestly, darling, you’re going to blow a fuse in this place with all of those. Are you why I can’t find my spare extension cord?” 

“Maybe.” Kara’s cheeks tinged pink. “Lena, I want it to feel magical for the holidays. I want it to sparkle like, like the starlight reflected off the snow on Krypton.” 

Lena’s expression softened and she bent to kiss the top of Kara’s head. “You keep the extension cord. I’ll get another one from the office.”

“Thank you.” Kara hummed happily at the contact. Then she lifted her chin and squinted suspiciously. “I don’t need to worry about you blowing a fuse in the home laboratory, do I?” 

“It’s not a home laboratory, darling. We’ve discussed this. It’s a spare bedroom that happens to have some test equipment in it,” Lena defended weakly as she gathered her things. 

Kara’s squint intensified. 

“Just be careful, okay? I’ll be back this evening.” 

“And then you’re home for the holidays?” Kara asked hopefully. 

“And then I’m home for the holidays,” Lena confirmed. 

Kara turned back to untangling the lights, already singing carols quietly to herself. “Good,” she murmured. 

Lena turned away with a smile, surprising herself when she realized she was actually counting down the hours until she’d be back again. How long had it been since she’d had something,  _ someone _ worth coming home to? Far too long, she decided. Far too long. 

__ __ __ __ 

As was so often the truth when Lena left Kara to go to work,  _ I’ll be home this evening _ turned into  _ I’ll be a little later than I expected _ , which transitioned into  _ Please don’t wait up for me. _

The city was dark and quiet when Lena finally tiptoed back into their apartment. She chuckled softly when she noticed Kara stretched out across the couch, having lost her battle to stay awake. She bent to turn on the tableside lamp and frowned when it clicked but remained unlit. Lena squatted down, feeling for the cord. It was plugged in. 

Kara stirred beside her, mumbling sleepy sounds that always made Lena want to curl into Kara’s soft, firm chest and stay there forever. 

“Hey, Leeeena. You’re home,” Kara whispered, her voice warm and drowsy. 

“I am,” Lena replied, stepping away from the lamp to sit beside Kara on the edge of the couch. “Darling, do you know why the lamp doesn’t work?” 

Kara didn’t answer, but turned her head into the couch and closed her eyes again. 

Lena responded by slipping off her shoes and crawling up the length of Kara’s body, stopping to rest her chin in the hollow between Kara’s collar bones. 

Kara’s blue eyes cracked open and found Lena’s emerald ones staring back at her. 

“Kara?” Lena punctuated her question with a soft kiss at the base of Kara’s throat. 

“I blew a fuse,” Kara mumbled. “And I think it short-circuited some things...Including my Christmas lights,” she added sadly. 

Lena was quiet for a while, and Kara shifted to wrap her arms around her shoulders, pressing each one of their curves together. 

“Darling, how would you feel about a little trip tonight?” she finally asked. 

“Tonight? Why tonight?” Kara responded, confused. 

“I have an idea. Just trust me.” 

Of course Kara trusted her. 

But it didn’t stop her from looking around, the crinkle in her forehead betraying her continued perplexity, when she touched down in the frost-covered field halfway across the country. There wasn’t a building around for miles.

“Lena, what is this place?” 

Lena pulled her coat around her a little more tightly. She’d nearly forgotten what winter nights felt like. “Somewhere special,” she responded vaguely. She took Kara by the hand and, by the glow of the flashlight on her phone, led Kara across the field, through a thin line of trees, and out onto a pebbled beach. 

“I came here once, in graduate school. As part of a research trip,” she continued. “But I thought, after today, you’d like to see it too.” 

“I still don’t understand.” 

Lena turned off her phone. “Look up.” 

She could feel more than see Kara’s expression break open in wonder as she tilted her head upward. 

Stars. Stars, stretched across the sky like tiny pinpricks in the infinite blackness of the universe, twinkled and bounced off the water of the small lake in front of them. 

“Lena…” Kara breathed. 

“It’s not Krypton, and it’s not snow, but -” 

Kara, still holding onto Lena’s hand, pulled gently until Lena was tucked under her chin.

“This is better than a million Christmas lights,” she said, not taking her eyes off the sky. 

Lena wound her arms around Kara’s waist and squeezed, hearing the quiver in Kara’s voice.

“Does it feel at all like home?” she asked quietly, trying to fight the tiny thread of uncertainty, of inadequacy, creeping through her head.

“ _ Everywhere _ feels like home, Lee. As long I’m with you.” 

Lena exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and nuzzled into the warmth of Kara’s chest. 

She was home. For Christmas. Where the star light, the love light, gleamed.

Suddenly that old song made a bit more sense.


	4. Festive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides behind laptop* I know it's more angst, but it felt right. Thanks for sticking around and reading these. 1/3 of the way done! I appreciate you all!

Alex stood outside the door, hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets, thinking of a number of places she would rather be right now than here. Thinking she better win some Sister of the Year award for this. 

She gnawed the inside of her cheek for a moment and finally drew out her hand. She quickly knocked her knuckles against the door.

An excruciatingly long silence followed before the door swung open. 

Lena stood on the other side, with one eyebrow cocked and her her chin jutting forward proudly. “Director Danvers,” she said cooly, “you’re looking rather festive this evening.” 

Alex followed Lena’s amused gaze upward and hastily tore the cloth reindeer antlers off her head, silently cursing Nia and Kara with impressive creativity. 

“We need to talk,” Alex said curtly. Clutching the holiday-themed headband in her fist, she shouldered her way past Lena into the apartment. 

She stopped short as she looked around the room. Alex had never been to Lena’s penthouse before, but it wasn’t the luxurious accommodations that she noticed. She noticed the half-empty bottle of scotch on the counter; she noticed the open bottle of wine on the coffee table. She noticed the framed picture of Lena and Kara sitting on the couch. 

Alex knew this, she knew what it meant. Again, she silently cursed Kara for being right, cursed herself for being wrong. Lena wasn’t irredeemably lost; she was hurting. 

Alex turned around, where Lena was standing with her arms crossed defensively under her chest. 

“We need to talk,” she repeated, more softly this time. 

“There’s nothing to talk about, as far as I’m aware,” Lena replied with a tilt of her head, as if she was daring Alex to challenge her. 

Alex Danvers did not back down from a challenge. Not when her sister’s heart was at stake. 

But she was silent for a moment, deciding how to begin. She and Lena stared at each other. 

Finally, she said, “Look. I’m not here to defend myself; I know I’m the last person who has a right to tell you how to feel. But this isn’t good, Lena.” She swung her arm around, pointing out the scattered bottles. “This doesn’t look like hatred. This looks like heartbreak.” 

Lena stiffened her arms. “You don’t get to act concerned. Not anymore, not after what you all did,” she said bitterly. 

Alex gritted her teeth, willing herself not to yell. She tossed the antlers clenched in her fist to the side and ran her hand over her hair. 

“Lena. You’ve been through more pain than any one person should have to bear. I, we, know that.”

“And yet you knowingly deceived me. Every one of you. You obviously weren’t that concerned about the pain I’ve had to bear.” Lena spat back. 

“Because we love you!” Alex was shouting now. “Because Kara  _ loves _ you! Because we’re human and do what we can to protect the people we love and sometimes we screw up!” 

“Then why was I the only one kept in the dark?! Why was I the only one deemed unworthy of knowing the truth?!” 

“You know  _ damn _ well it’s not because Kara thought you were unworthy.” 

Lena’s expression was stony. She angled herself towards the door. “I think it’s time for you to leave, Director Danvers.” 

Alex stayed exactly where she was. “Did Kara ever tell you about J’onn erasing my memories last year?” 

Lena said nothing. 

“Yeah, you probably didn’t give her the chance,” Alex snapped. She stopped herself before continuing more evenly. “Last year, J’onn erased every single memory I had of Kara in order to protect her identity. I asked him to do it. I had no idea who my sister was for  _ weeks _ . I just thought she was some pest of an alien getting in my way.” 

“I don’t see how this is relevant,” Lena interrupted. 

“Knowing Kara is Supergirl is not without consequences,” Alex said, slightly exasperated. “It is not without risk. Kara didn’t keep that part of herself from you because she didn’t trust you. She did it because she didn’t want to expose you to that risk, because she loves you with a ferocity I’ve never seen from her before. But you know that already...don’t you?” 

Lena uncrossed her arms and glanced over at the photograph on the couch. “I can’t just pretend she didn’t lie to me for years. I trusted her and she betrayed that trust. She...she turned my whole world upside down,” she said quietly. 

“Then give her the chance to make it  _ right _ ,” Alex implored. “Lena, it is Christmas Eve and I am here because I know Kara invited you to come over, despite believing she doesn’t deserve you anymore. She’s lost faith in a lot of things lately, mostly herself, but she still believes in you.”

Lena’s voice was tight and watery when she spoke again. “Alex, I need you to leave. Please.” 

Alex sighed but moved towards the door. She rested her hand on Lena’s shoulder as she passed. Lena flinched. “It doesn’t have to be tonight,” Alex murmured, removing her hand, “but you know where we are if you want it to be.” Then she left, shutting the door softly behind her. 

Lena moved to sit on the couch, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Every cell in her chest ached as she tried desperately to convince herself nothing Alex had said mattered. That Kara didn’t matter.

Then she noticed the reindeer antlers, lying crumpled and forgotten on the ground. 

__ __ __ __ 

Alex was stretched out on the couch, her feet tucked under a dozing Kara, when she heard the knock at the door. It was late, everyone else had gone home an hour ago. Alex knew she should be leaving soon too; she knew Kelly was waiting. 

She rose and padded to the door, opening it a crack. Then, seeing who it was, she opened it wider. 

“Miss Luthor,” she said, trying and failing to hide her hopeful expression. “Looking rather festive this evening.” She raised her eyebrows at the antlers on Lena’s head. 

Lena didn’t respond but gave a small smile, her eyes still sad and wary. 

Gently, Alex took her by the arm and led her inside.

“Kara,” she whispered, “look who’s here.”


	5. Once a Year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluff returns! You guys continue to be wonderful and make my day with your kind comments. Thank you!

Kara shifted impatiently from foot to foot, compulsively checking the time on her phone. 

“C’mon, Alex!” she whined. “We’re gonna be late!” 

Alex smirked at her sister and continued nonchalantly lacing up her up her boots. 

“We’re not going to be late, Kara. It doesn’t start for an entire hour and takes, like, ten minutes to get there.” 

“But Lena said she was saving us a spot, and I don’t want to keep her waiting there by herself for too long,” Kara replied, continuing to bounce in place near the door to Alex’s apartment.

“Oh, well, if  _ Lena _ is saving us a spot, then I guess I better get moving,” Alex teased. She stood and started to pull on her coat with exaggerated slowness. 

“Why’d you say her name like that?”

Alex grinned and shrugged. “I didn’t say her name like anything.”

“Yes, you did! What’s that supposed to mean? Alex, what are you hinting at?!” Kara’s cheeks started to flush pink. 

Alex crossed her living room and gently gripped Kara’s upper arms, holding her still. “Kara,” she said soothingly, “calm down. It’s no secret that you like Lena. At least, it isn’t to me.”

Kara ducked her head and removed one arm from Alex’s grasp to push her glasses up her nose. “I haven’t really told anyone yet…Definitely not Lena.” 

“I’m your sister. You don’t have to say anything for me to know.” 

“Do you think Lena knows?” Kara asked quietly. 

Alex shrugged again and smiled. “That I can’t say. But she’d be crazy not to like you back.” 

Kara’s blush deepened. 

“Now, are you ready for this tree lighting ceremony or what?” 

“Obviously! I’ve only been waiting here for twenty years for you to get your shoes on.” Kara said with a laugh, opening the door. 

Alex rolled her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen sometimes.” 

__ __ __ __ 

Alex held on to the hem of Kara’s jacket to keep her sister from rising off the ground while she scanned the growing crowd for Lena. 

“Oh! There she is!” Kara said happily. 

Now Alex hung on to Kara just to keep from losing her as she took off weaving between people to the other side of the city square. 

Kara came to a sudden halt, sending Alex colliding into her back. 

Lena looked up at them, her lips pulling at the corners in amusement. “If you move any faster than that, Kara, you’re going to have to wear a different outfit.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively. 

“Yeah, listen to Lena,” Alex huffed as she stepped from behind Kara, brushing back her now-tousled hair. 

“Good to see you again, Alex,” Lena said pleasantly. 

Alex smiled back. “Nice to see you, too.” 

Kara was uncharacteristically quiet. She was too busy beaming down at Lena to even notice that they were teasing her. 

Alex noticed and chuckled to herself. “Do you guys want anything before this starts? I saw a sign for hot chocolate, which means maybe I can find a grown up version around here too.” 

“Hot chocolate is perfectly adult without whiskey or whatever else you put in it, thank you very much,” Kara said, feigning offense. 

Lena laughed brightly. “An adult one if you can find it, please. Otherwise, Kara’s version will do.” 

Alex meandered off towards the concessions area, feeling rather proud of her own cleverness. 

After she had left, Lena gestured toward the massive decorated pine tree in the middle of the crowd. “I’ve been in National City for two years now, and I’ve never actually been to this before.” 

“Oh, it’s my favorite!” Kara replied, maybe a little too quickly. “Something like this only happens once a year, you know? It’s special, seeing everyone happy and gathered together.” 

Lena hummed in response, glancing fondly at Kara before turning her attention back to the tree. “There wasn’t a whole lot of happy gathering for Christmas when I was young.” 

“Well, hey, you’ve got us now,” Kara said, her hands nervously clenched in her pockets. She bumped her shoulder against Lena’s. “Happy Christmas gatherings galore.”

To Kara’s surprise, Lena leaned back into the touch, linking her arm through Kara’s. “Thanks to you.” 

Kara felt her face flush and she started to wonder what was taking Alex so long. They were going to flip the switch on the tree lights soon, and well, Lena  _ was holding her arm _ . 

“Wait,” she sputtered, trying to act normally, “what are you doing for Christmas?” 

Lena kept her gaze trained forward but tilted her head so it too rested against Kara. “Oh, you know, what I normally do. Work.” 

Kara pulled back and turned to fully face Lena. “Absolutely not. I love you way too much to let you work on Christmas Day.” She stopped short, realizing what she said. 

Lena looked at her, questioning. She and Kara had said ‘I love you’ often enough before; they were best friends, after all. But something in Kara’s tone felt different this time. 

Kara felt it too, because the slight flush on her cheeks had deepened and spread down her neck. She took a deep breath and reached for Lena’s hand. 

“Would you, um...Lena, would you like to spend Christmas with me?” 

Lena smiled and laced her fingers through Kara’s, looking down at their intertwined hands before tilting her chin back up. “I’d really like that,” she said quietly. 

Kara’s shoulders immediately relaxed and Lena couldn’t help but chuckle as they turned to face the Christmas tree again, pressing their sides as closely together as they could. 

Alex walked up behind them, three steaming cups in hand, just in time to see Kara kiss the top of Lena’s head. She really was a very clever sister.


	6. Bah Humbug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday before the holidays, everyone! If you're stuck at work, watching the clock as the hours tick by until it's time to go home and enjoy the weekend, I hope it goes by quickly. Perhaps this chapter will add some needed fluff to the end of your week.

The smell of cookies baking hit Lena well before she arrived at Kara’s apartment door. She inhaled deeply, smiling to herself, as she strode down the hall. 

Kara met her at the door before she even had a chance to knock. “Hey!” she chirped happily. “I heard you coming. I’m so glad you made it! Who schedules a Saturday meeting the week before the holidays?”

Lena looked down at her shoes and chuckled. Heels weren’t exactly made for stealth, but she still sometimes forgot about Kara’s super hearing. No human would have been able to pick up her steps clacking on tile over the Christmas music echoing throughout Kara’s apartment. 

“It smells amazing,” Lena said when she stepped inside. 

“What?!” Alex shouted from behind the kitchen counter. Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows and her cheeks were splotched with flour. She spun around, looking for the remote to turn down the music. 

“Hey! That one was my favorite!” Kara protested. 

“Oh, bah humbug. You say that about every Christmas song, and not all of us can have conversations at that decibel.” 

Kara pouted, so Lena stretched up to kiss her cheek and chided, “Be nice, darling.” Then, turning to Alex again, “I said it smells amazing in here.”

Alex grinned proudly and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Thank you. Everyone thinks neither of us can cook, but  _ she’s _ the only one who’s ever blown something up in the microwave,” she said with a pointed look at Kara. 

Kara opened her mouth to defend herself, but promptly closed it again. 

“Mmhmm, you’ve got nothing,” Alex laughed. “So, Lena, care to join me? I trust you won’t try to eat the dough while my back is turned, unlike  _ some people _ .” 

“Why did this all of a sudden become the ‘Pick on Kara’ Christmas cookie show? My girlfriend’s been here for five minutes, and I’m under attack,” Kara huffed, hands raised in mock surrender. 

“Because,” Alex said with a smirk, brandishing a wooden spoon in her sister’s direction, “now I have backup. You’re a hopeless pile of mush whenever Lena so much as looks in your direction.” 

Lena looked up at Kara with a tilt of her head. “Why don’t I help Alex get the rest of the cookies made and then we can decorate them together?” she suggested sweetly. 

Kara groaned, hating how right Alex was. “Fine...but you have to promise I can be in charge of sprinkles.” 

“I promise.” 

“Do you swear?”

“So demanding. I swear on my favorite oversized sweatshirt in your closet,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. “Have a little faith in this Luthor, won’t you?”

Alex made a strangled sound as she tried not to laugh when Kara’s forehead crinkle appeared at the accusation, but Lena smiled and promptly smoothed it away with a gentle stroke of her thumb. 

“You guys are mean,” Kara mumbled, plopping down on one of the tall kitchen stools. 

“Again, bah humbug. It’s only because we love you,” Alex replied, bumping Lena with her elbow as Lena slipped off her shoes and joined Alex behind the counter. 

__ __ __ __

It took another two hours, but, eventually, all of the cookies were baked and cooling on the table. Well, most of them. It was none of Alex’s business if Lena snuck a spoonful or two of dough to Kara, a crime she was more than willing to commit for the way it lit up Kara’s face. 

Alex had left to get the three of them dinner while the cookies cooled, insisting that Kara eat something other than sugar, so Kara and Lena lounged comfortably on the couch together while they waited for her to return. 

Their conversation had lulled, and Kara’s eyes fluttered as she tried, though not particularly hard, to not fall asleep. Lena, with her back pressed against Kara’s chest, surveyed the quiet apartment and sighed. 

“Hey,” Kara murmured drowsily, “what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing at all,” Lena replied, resting her hand atop Kara’s arm wrapped around her middle. “I was just thinking how  _ nice _ this is. How... _ normal _ . I suppose I always secretly hoped for this, but I never quite thought it would come true.” 

Kara nuzzled her nose into Lena’s soft hair, noticing how it smelled faintly of vanilla. “Yeah, me too.” 

Lena shifted and turned so she could face Kara, her eyes soft and bright. She raised one hand and rested it against Kara’s cheek. “It’s something of a Christmas miracle isn’t it?”

Kara closed her eyes and leaned into Lena’s touch, chuckling as she responded, “I thought you didn’t believe in miracles, Miss ‘I’m a woman of science.'” 

Lena was silent for a moment, so Kara opened her eyes and found Lena still staring back at her. “I’m willing to make you my one exception,” she said softly. 

The apartment door swung open and Alex entered, her arms laden with bags of take out. She stopped short when she looked across the room and noticed Lena and her sister lost in each other’s gaze, completely unaware of the world around them. 

“Ugh! Do you two  _ have _ to insist on being so disgustingly sweet all the time?” she groaned dramatically. 

Both Kara and Lena startled at the intrusion and immediately blushed when they turned to the see the wry smile on Alex’s face. 

Kara stood and pulled Lena up from the couch, her blue eyes shining with laughter. “Oh, bah humbug!” 


	7. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve Eve and Happy second day of Hanukkah! For anyone whose found family is as important to them as mine is to me, this chapter is for you.

Kara capped her pen and slipped it, along with her notebook, back into her bag. She looked across the desk at Lena and smiled. 

“I really appreciate you fitting this in on such short notice, Lena. I can only imagine how busy you must be with the holidays right around the corner.” 

“I always have time for an interview with my favorite ace reporter, Kara. You know that,” Lena replied as she leaned back in her chair, arms resting loosely at her sides. “Frankly, this was a needed reprieve from the constant stream of emails I’ve been handling all week.” 

Kara ducked her head and raised her hand to adjust her glasses. Lena’s lips twitched at the corners, amused that Kara continued to wear them even though they both knew she didn’t need them. She suspected Kara found it comforting to have something to fidget with; she had seen how chewed some of Kara’s pen caps were. 

“Well, thank you nevertheless,” Kara said, breaking Lena from her thoughts. 

Kara stood up from her chair and Lena followed suit, stepping forward to accept the hug Kara offered with outstretched arms. She tucked her chin against Kara’s shoulder and splayed her hand across the middle of Kara’s back, relishing the security and strength of the arms wrapped around her. 

“Hey, what are you doing for Christmas?” Kara asked when they separated, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. 

“Nothing special, really. Luthors aren’t exactly known for their holiday cheer,” Lena responded nonchalantly as she turned to settle behind her desk once more. 

Kara chewed her lower lip for a moment, looking down at her hands. “Would like to spend it with me? I mean, us. All of us. I host on Christmas Day - Eliza, Alex, J’onn, everyone will be there. We’d love to have you too.” 

Lena’s features softened when she looked up at Kara. “That’s really very kind of you, but Christmas is for family. I couldn’t impose.” 

“But you’re -” Kara started to protest, but something guarded in Lena’s expression told her not to push the invitation. “Well, if you change your mind, you’re more than welcome to join us.” 

“Thank you. I do appreciate the offer.”

“Yeah, of course. It’s, um, what friends are for?” Kara replied clumsily. She adjusted her bag and turned to leave. 

“Kara,” Lena called as she reached for the door handle.

Kara looked back towards her best friend. 

“Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Lena,” she replied, trying to hide the hint of sadness in her voice. She gave Lena one last smile and exited. 

__ __ __ __ 

“Hey, you,” Alex said as she opened the fridge to get herself a beer before joining Kara, who was leaning against the kitchen island. 

“Hey yourself,” Kara replied, bumping her sister with her shoulder. 

They stood together quietly, each looking out across the apartment. Eliza, J’onn, and James were all chatting companionably at the dining table. Winn sat on the floor near Kelly, whose periodic laughter and dramatic gasps made Alex suspicious of what stories he was telling her girlfriend. She took a swig of her drink and then glanced over at Kara. 

“What’s on your mind?” Alex asked. 

“Hmmm? Oh, nothing,” Kara replied. “We got pretty lucky, didn’t we?” She gestured in the direction of the room filled with their loved ones. 

Alex hummed in agreement. “That’s not all you’re thinking about though.” 

Kara sighed, already knowing what gave her away. “Crinkle?” 

“Crinkle.”

“Damn that thing,” Kara said with a little laugh. She shrugged. “I just don’t like the idea of Lena spending Christmas alone. I have a feeling she’s spent today working.” 

Alex frowned. “You invited her, right?” 

“Of course I did! But she said today was for family and that she didn’t want to impose.”

Alex was silent again. She knew Kara and Lena had been on delicate terms for a while after the Supergirl reveal, but something told her that this was more about them dancing around the increasingly blurred line they had drawn, but refused to acknowledge, between  _ friendship _ and  _ relationship.  _

“You feel like something’s missing without her here, don’t you?” 

Kara nodded. 

“Yeah, I thought so. I’ll stick around after everyone leaves, okay? I have an idea,” Alex said confidently. 

__ __ __ __ 

Several hours later, Kara shut her apartment door with a smile, having just wished everyone goodbye. Apart from Alex puttering in the kitchen, a hushed calm had fallen over the room. 

Clasping her hands behind her back, Kara leaned forward, interested. “So. What’s this idea of yours?” 

Alex held up a small stack of Tupperware containers, each filled with Christmas dinner leftovers. She grinned. “We are flying over to L-Corp. Now.” 

Kara’s face lit up, and she had switched into her suit before Alex even had time to place the containers in a bag. 

A few minutes later, Kara landed softly on the balcony of Lena’s office. As she suspected, Lena was there, sitting on her couch. She was hunched over, looking at a spread of documents she’d laid out on the coffee table. 

Kara set Alex down and gently knocked on the glass door. Lena jumped slightly at the noise, but relaxed when she saw who was standing there. 

“Kara?” she asked, sliding back the door. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hosting Christmas?” 

“We come bearing tidings of great joy,” Alex quipped from behind Kara, holding up the bag of food she held. 

Lena stepped back to allow the sisters inside. “I don’t understand,” she said, still looking at Kara. 

Kara fiddled with her hands in front of her, having no glasses to reach for. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you spending the holiday by yourself, so I, well, we brought you dinner.” 

“You two didn’t have to do that,” Lena said, glancing between Kara and Alex. “I told you, Kara, you should be with your family.” 

“Lena, you  _ are _ family,” Kara said, perhaps a little more forcefully than she intended. She continued, more softly. “And I’m so sorry if you thought otherwise. But you’re part of our family and I  _ want _ you to spend the holidays with us. Every holiday. It doesn’t feel right without you.” 

Lena’s eyes watered and she swallowed tightly. “I don’t quite know what to say,” she whispered. “Other than thank you.” 

Alex nodded fondly and Kara stepped forward. She wrapped herself around Lena, and Lena sank into Kara’s embrace. 

“Don’t think you ever have to do anything alone ever again, okay?” Kara murmured into Lena’s ear. “You have a family who loves you.  _ I _ love you, always.” 

Lena closed her eyes and squeezed Kara’s waist. “Okay,” she promised, knowing without a doubt that Kara meant every word she said.


	8. Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a mad dash to the end of the month, but hopefully I'll get there, friends! Chapter eight coming at you.

Lena took one last sip of her glass of red wine before uncurling herself from the couch. She stood and rested one hand against her low back, stretching out her tired muscles. 

Kara, who was dozing next to her, sensed the movement and opened her eyes. 

“What time is it?” she asked, blinking drowsily. 

“Nearly eleven,” Lena replied quietly. She padded across their living room and into the kitchen to set her empty glass on the counter alongside three mugs that still needed washing, their rims stained with hot chocolate powder. 

When she returned, she noticed Kara sitting on the edge of the couch, her head tilted towards the stairs. 

“Is she still asleep?” Lena asked. 

Kara listened for another moment and then nodded. “Snug as a bug.” 

“Good,” Lena sighed, relieved. “I think we should do the same. You know she won’t wait long tomorrow morning.” 

Kara hummed her assent and stood but didn’t move towards the stairs right away. Instead, she remained still, her blue eyes speckled with the reflection of the colorful lights on the Christmas tree. 

“What is it?” Lena prodded gently. 

“Just taking this in for a moment,” Kara replied, her gaze fixated on the peaceful scene before them. The living room was dark, apart from the lit tree, and so it cast a soft, warm glow onto the walls and across the floor. Packages, all wrapped by Lena’s careful hand and decked with bows by Kara with childish abandon, were tucked under the tree, just waiting for morning. 

Lena smiled and stepped forward to take Kara’s hand, slowly pulling her away. “And you wonder why it was nearly impossible to get her to bed tonight. She’s just like you.” 

Kara chuckled softly as they tiptoed up the darkened stairs, fingers still intertwined. “But she’s strategic, like you. She knows Santa comes tonight and that presents can’t be opened until Christmas Day; she won’t throw away weeks of patient waiting now.” 

“True…” Lena murmured. Then she yawned. “Still, something tells me she’ll be up before the sun.” 

Kara shut the bedroom door silently behind them, and together they got ready for bed. They danced around each other in the bathroom, not needing words to communicate. Of all the things Lena had discovered she loved about Kara after six years of marriage, this was one of her favorites. She cherished the way they both  _ knew _ what a hand holding an elbow meant, a palm resting against the small of someone’s back, fingertips brushed against a hip. After so many years alone, the magic of understanding and being understood by another person, by  _ Kara _ , through touch alone never faded. 

Lena sighed contentedly when she slid under the covers and tucked her back against Kara’s chest. She could feel herself drifting off almost immediately. 

“Hey, love you,” Kara mumbled into her hair, her voice heavy with impending sleep. 

“Love you more, my darling,” Lena whispered back. She felt Kara smile and closed her eyes. 

Lena was only vaguely aware of the whispers at first; she couldn’t discern if they were real or dreamt. She shifted, becoming more alert when she realized Kara wasn’t wrapped around her, and listened closely. 

“But Mama, you said!” a little voice huffed impatiently in the dark. 

“I know, I know I did. Just not quite yet.” 

“Mamaaaaa,  _ please _ . It’s midnight, which means it’s Christmas Day now, right?” 

Kara sighed. “Yes, baby, it is technically Christmas now. But Mom is still sleeping, and we need to still be sleeping too.” 

Lena started to sit up, but Kara reached behind her and squeezed Lena’s hand. 

_ Stay _ . 

“But Mama, Santa came! I waited until Christmas like you said. You need to come see!” 

Lena smiled in the dark, knowing she was going to hear it tomorrow when Kara pretended to be exasperated at how she could have possibly passed her Luthor negotiating prowess onto their adopted daughter. To which Lena would respond, as she always did, that she wasn’t born a Luthor either. 

She felt Kara swing her legs over the side of the bed. 

“What if I make you a deal?” Kara whispered. “I’ll come down and look with you, we can pick out which present you want to open first, and then we go back to bed. How does that sound?”

Silence. Followed by a very quiet, obviously disappointed, “Okay.” 

Lena turned her face into her pillow to keep from laughing. Alex and Kelly had warned them, but neither she nor Kara had anticipated making quite so many creative deals with a five-year-old. 

“Okay. Let’s go see what Santa brought you.” 

Lena heard Kara pick Lizzie up and quietly shuffle down the hall, the two of them whispering conspiratorially all the way downstairs. She sighed and burrowed back into the mattress, wondering once again how she got so lucky. 

When she awoke the second time, it was still dark outside, but hints of dawn were beginning to break over the horizon. Lena reached for her phone. It was just after six o’clock. 

But, apart from herself, the bed was empty. Kara hadn’t returned. 

Suspicious, Lena climbed out of bed and slipped on a sweatshirt Kara had left discarded on the floor. She stepped out into the hall and noticed Lizzie’s bedroom door was wide open, her bed also empty. 

Lena padded down the stairs and stopped short at the bottom, her heart swelling in her chest. 

Kara was sitting on the couch, her head lolling sideways. Lizzie was fast asleep and curled up beside her; only her head in Kara’s lap peeked out from under a blanket. None of the presents had been opened, but they clearly had been moved around while the two of them snooped in the night. 

Lena descended the last stair and crossed over to the couch. She kissed Kara on the cheek and ran her hand over Lizzie’s hair. 

“Hey, you two. Time to wake up,” she said happily. “It’s Christmas.” 


	9. Wonder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little different, guys, but I hope you don't mind that.

Kara hovered high in the air and stared out at the ocean, letting its majesty and crashing waves soothe her soul. 

Long after Eliza and Alex had gone to bed, Kara stretched out atop the roof of her home in Midvale, watching the stars silently twinkle in order to feel a little closer to the home she lost. 

Kara’s face lit up with the Christmas lights that appeared throughout the city as November turned into December. 

Kara let her fingers trail along the seemingly endless shelves and volumes of her local bookstore, searching for the perfect gift for her sister. Alex deserved to take some time off and curl up with a novel, even though she’d never admit to it at work. 

Kara breathed deeply, relishing the feel of the warm breeze against her face. If she wanted cold, she’d go to the Fortress of Solitude. But, for now, she was content to enjoy the mild California winter. 

__ __ __ __ 

Lena never quite understood the obsession with the holiday season. She tried, for Kara’s sake, but her heart wasn’t completely in it. 

Lena would smile fondly while her girlfriend bounded around their apartment, arms full of decorations and excitedly singing along to Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” 

Lena chuckled at the irony when she stepped out of sunny, balmy weather into a store playing “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” through its speaker system. Then she laughed more fully when Kara would high step through the aisles, pretending to kick mounds of snow. 

Lena stood out on her office balcony at night, waiting for Kara to safely arrive after patrolling the city. Chin tilted upward, her gaze only settled on the blonde hair and red cape streaking across the sky, not the star of wonder the three kings of Orient were so keen to follow. 

Lena agreed politely to watch  _ It’s a Wonderful Life _ on Christmas Eve. It was one of Kara’s favorites, and Lena loved the way she would hold her close when George Bailey desperately wished to be returned to his family. Whether or not she was invested in the plot of the film, Lena knew how lucky she and Kara were to have each other after everything. 

__ __ __ __ 

Kara saw the magic in the little things. She had travelled across both time and space, seen worlds most beings could only conjure in their imagination. 

But few things made her heart swell as much as the sight of the rising sun streaming in through the windows, filling the room with a golden glow. 

She’d stop to pick a wildflower growing in the crack of a sidewalk, tuck it in her notebook to preserve it for a later painting. 

She cherished the sweet smell of Noonan’s on a lazy Saturday afternoon. 

She committed the sound of Alex’s bright laugh to memory, for when days got dark. 

Kara approached each day with a wide open heart, willing to have it broken on the basis of hope and the possibility of a happy ending. 

__ __ __ __ 

Lena couldn’t fathom how Kara did it. 

Lena was rational, focused, driven. 

The world was hard and cruel and unfair.

But Lena had also tethered her heart to Kara’s. 

And so, when she woke on Christmas morning and turned over in bed to softly trace the lines of Kara’s sleeping face, she caught a glimpse of it. 

She understood it, for a brief moment, captured by the way Kara’s lips turned slightly upward at the feel of Lena’s skin against hers. 

Kara saw the world through eyes filled with wonder. And Lena saw Kara. And that was more than enough.


	10. Christmas Present

Lena tapped the end of her fountain pen against her chin, thinking. It was another of her usual late nights at the office, and the L-Corp building was quiet apart from the whirring of the ventilation system. She didn’t really mind the solitude; it was easier to hear her own self think when she wasn’t constantly listening for another phone call or a knock at the door from Jess announcing her next meeting. Oftentimes, her best ideas occurred to her on nights like this one. 

But tonight, she wasn’t trying to determine the next big breakthrough in science or technology. Tonight she was racking her brain in regards to what to get Kara for Christmas. 

What do you get the woman who can fly across the world for pastries from Paris at the drop of a hat? 

It made two-day shipping from Amazon seem slower than a transatlantic voyage in a wooden ship.

Lena sighed and glanced at her phone. She contemplated texting Alex for help, but she really wanted to come up with something herself. Something perfect. 

It’s not that Kara didn’t drop hints. But, as much as it made Lena smile when Kara bounced up and down when they passed window displays of cozy winter sweaters, or the art supply store, or the giant sign in Noonan’s announcing that they now offer gift cards, none of those things felt meaningful enough. They were just  _ things _ . 

The hands of the clock on the wall creeped past ten o’clock, and Lena grumpily admitted defeat for the night. She was tired and hungry. She missed her girlfriend. It was time to go home. 

__ __ __ __ 

Lena unlocked the apartment door and opened it quietly, not wanting to wake Kara. It was dark inside, but Lena didn’t bother to turn on any lights. She was headed straight for their bedroom anyway, and she decided the dim glow of the city through the window curtains was enough light to guide her down the hall. 

She was wrong. 

Halfway across the room, Lena stumbled across something that she was  _ certain _ wasn’t there when she left the apartment that morning and went crashing to the floor in a heap. 

The clatter brought Kara rushing from the bedroom, her hair askew and eyes blazing. 

“Lena!” she exclaimed, both shocked and relieved. She flipped on the lights. 

Lena groaned, more from embarrassment than pain. Her foot was now caught in an easel, an odd assortment of canvases and brushes scattered around her. 

“Kara, what on earth is all this?” she asked, untangling herself from the large wooden frame and accepting the hand Kara had extended to pull her upright. 

Kara smoothed her hands across Lena’s shoulders and pulled her in by the lapels of her jacket. “I’m sorry; I thought I had moved it enough out of the way,” she said, kissing Lena’s furrowed brow. 

“But why are your painting materials out here? You know I don’t mind having them set up in the office.” 

“I know…” Kara replied haltingly, looking back over her shoulder toward the room Lena mentioned. “But the lighting was just so perfect out here when I got home, and there’s only one window in the office, and I thought I could maybe experiment with a bigger piece in a larger space…”

Lena’s face softened and she let out a breath. She was too tired to really be annoyed, and if Kara was painting, that meant she was either relaxed enough to feel creative or she needed an outlet for her stress. Whatever the case was, Lena would never deny her that. 

“It’s all right, darling,” Lena assured Kara. “Maybe just text me the next time you decide to turn our living room into an art studio?” 

“Deal,” Kara agreed, kissing Lena’s forehead a second time. 

Lena closed her eyes, happily leaning into Kara. As they straightened the materials and meandered off to bed, Lena smiled to herself. 

She knew what she wanted to get Kara.

__ __ __ __ 

Lena was nearly vibrating with excitement when Christmas morning arrived a few weeks later. However, it tugged at her heartstrings when Kara’s face fell just slightly as she peeked under their tree like a child, looking for packages with her name them. Instead, she only found the gifts she intended to give Lena, the ones they were planning to give to their friends and family together. 

Kara looked at Lena, trying to hide her disappointed confusion under a silly smile. 

“Did I miss a memo about not giving presents this year, Lee?” 

Lena shook her head quickly, feeling guilty about this part of her plan. “Not at all.”

Kara continued to look at her curiously. 

“Get dressed and come downstairs with me?” Lena asked, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips. 

With a swirl of air, Kara dashed into their bedroom and exchanged her pajama pants for jeans and pulled a baggy sweatshirt over her head. 

“Okay?” Kara questioned, fiddling with the cuffs of her sleeves anxiously. 

Lena reached for Kara’s hand, running her thumb across Kara’s knuckles soothingly. “Perfect.” 

She tugged gently and led Kara out of the apartment and downstairs into a waiting car. 

Kara didn’t speak, but kept shooting perplexed looks at Lena as they wove through the city. 

When the car pulled to a stop, Lena turned to Kara, her green eyes sparkling. “I need you to close your eyes, okay? Just hang on to me.” 

Lena laughed when Kara squinted in response, and she pressed a quick kiss to Kara’s pursed lips. “Don’t look so suspicious, darling. I’m not taking you to my evil lair.” 

Kara smirked and dutifully covered her eyes with one hand. 

“No peeking,” Lena ordered as she led Kara out of the car and into the building. 

As they rode the elevator upward, Lena’s heart started to beat faster with anticipation. Kara must have felt it, because she squeezed Lena’s hand gently. 

Lena squeezed back and nudged Kara forward out of the elevator, guiding her through a series of hallways before stopping in front of a doorway. 

“Just a minute more,” Lena teased, pulling a key out of her pocket and unlocking the door. She shuffled Kara forward a few more steps. “Okay, open.” 

Kara uncovered her eyes and gasped. A large room stretched out before her, with windows stretching from floor to ceiling along its two outer walls, flooding it with warm sunlight. It was devoid of furniture. Instead, easels and canvases and a veritable storeroom of colorful supplies were arranged around different points of the space. 

She turned to look at Lena, her face stretching into a wide smile. 

“Is this, is this for me?” she asked incredulously. 

Lena wrapped one arm around Kara’s waist and kissed the underside of her jaw. “Merry Christmas, darling. Welcome to your very own art studio.” 

Kara picked Lena up into a hug and spun her around, laughing brightly. Too excited to say anything, Kara bounded across the room, and Lena watched happily as she gasped and squeaked every time she discovered something new. 

She ran back to Lena, kissing her soundly. When they finally pulled back from each other, she managed to whisper into Lena’s ear. “Best. Christmas. Present. Ever.”


	11. Sentiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right down to the wire, you guys! One more to go. I hope you enjoy this penultimate chapter!

“Alex! What do you think you’re doing?” Kara exclaimed. 

Alex looked down from her step stool perch. “Decorating for the party later. What does it look like I’m doing?” 

“My apartment is already decorated. You’re just hanging mistletoe,” Kara pointed out. 

“So?”

Kara crossed her arms and looked up at Alex, pretending to be annoyed. “So, you don’t need any more excuses to kiss Kelly and be disgustingly adorable in front of everyone. You two excel at that already.” 

A faint flush creeped up Alex’s neck and across her cheeks as she quietly hummed in happy agreement. She turned her attention back to securing the festive foliage above Kara’s doorway, saying, “Yeah, well,  _ some  _ people might need a little more encouragement.” 

“This is what I get for trusting you with my deep, dark secrets?” Kara asked. 

“One, the fact that you have a thing for Lena is hardly a deep, dark secret. Two, it is my sacred sisterly duty to make sure you’re happy,” Alex retorted. 

“Ugh, fine!” Kara sighed, throwing her hands in the air. “Since you’re being all sweet about it. But don’t think that means anything is going to happen tonight! I don’t want to make things weird.” 

Alex stepped down off the stool and affectionately tapped the end of Kara’s nose. “The only thing that’s weird is the fact that you two haven’t kissed yet. You’ve been dancing around it for years.”

Kara swatted her sister’s hand away, flustered. “Shut up,” she mumbled. “You weren’t exactly all confident and smooth with Maggie either.” 

Alex’s eyes darkened for just a moment before she chuckled. “Fair enough. But at least I kissed her!” 

Kara stuck her tongue out at Alex. Alex squinted and pursed her lips in response. 

Then Kara’s phone buzzed on the counter. She reached for it, trying to hide her smile when she saw Lena’s name on the screen. 

“C’mon, I know it’s her,” Alex teased gently. 

“She’d like to know if she should bring red or white wine toni- Oh, wait. Or both, she asks.”

“I knew I loved that girl for a reason. Tell her both, obviously.” 

Kara sent off her reply and tucked her phone into her back pocket. “Seriously though, Alex,” she started hesitantly, “please don’t be too pushy tonight?” 

Alex’s face softened, and she reached out to rest her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Of course not. If you two are ever going to move beyond where you are now, it needs to be on your own terms. But I’m here for encouragement and support, just like you were for me,” she said with a smile. 

Kara bit her lower lip and nodded. “Thank you.” 

“Sacred sisterly duty,” Alex replied simply. “Now. I’ve got to go pick up Kelly, and then we’re off to get some of the food for tonight. So I’ll be back in a couple hours, okay?” 

“Yeah, sounds perfect,” Kara replied, opening the door for Alex. “I’ll see you two later.” 

Alex left, leaving Kara alone with the mistletoe and her thoughts. 

__ __ __ __ 

“Lenaaaaaaa!” Winn shouted excitedly from across the room later that evening. “Finally!” 

Lena smiled warmly at him as Kara let her into the apartment. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said to Kara. “Emergency meeting.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you were able to make it,” Kara replied. 

“Me too,” Alex agreed, swooping in to take the two bottles of wine out of Lena’s hands. “Mom has been playing twenty questions with Kelly about her work all night, so you’re my hero right now.”

“Always happy to help,” Lena said with a laugh. 

“Hey, Kara! Don’t forget your hostess responsibilities!” Winn’s voice echoed out again. 

Lena raised an eyebrow. “Hostess responsibilities?” 

Kara sighed, ducking her head. “Alex thought it was funny to hang mistletoe earlier today, and Winn, after a couple of beers, thought it was even funnier to make it my job to ensure no one enters without a Merry Christmas kiss…” 

“Less talking, more smooching!” 

Alex quieted Winn with a not entirely gentle smack to the back of his head and whispered something in his ear. 

Kara blushed and quickly pecked Lena on the cheek before taking a step back. “Sorry. He’s enjoying himself after being gone for so long.” 

Lena stared at Kara for a moment. “No apology needed,” she finally replied.

The rest of the party passed by without a hitch. Well, maybe one hitch in the form of Alex threatening to disown Kara for putting a hotel on Park Place and bankrupting her out of Monopoly. But for the first time in a long time, everyone was gathered together and happy. Kara was so content to have her family around her that she almost forgot to be nervous about Lena.

Almost. 

James escorted an inebriated Winn out the door at the end of the night, complete with a goodbye kiss from Kara on his forehead. Kelly and Alex meandered home together, cheeks flushed and happy. J’onn escorted Eliza to her waiting cab before taking off into the darkened sky.

“Thank you for having me,” Lena said to Kara as she pulled on her jacket.

Kara tilted her head and looked at Lena, her blue eyes soft and bright. “Of course! You don’t have to thank me, you know that. You’re coming over next weekend for New Year’s Eve movie marathon with Alex and Kelly, right?” 

“Barring any L-Corp fiascos, yes.”

“Good,” Kara replied, pulling Lena into a hug goodbye. “Oh, and I’m sorry again about Winn and the whole mistletoe thing earlier.” She waved her hand at the decorative plant above them. 

Lena looked up, then back at Kara and smiled. Her gaze was tinted with something Kara hadn’t seen before. Or, she had, but tried to convince herself she was being ridiculous.

“I told you,” Lena whispered softly, “no apology needed. I...rather appreciated the sentiment.” 

Kara looked down at Lena, her heart fluttering at how the comfort of their embrace suddenly felt heavier, charged.

“You did?” 

Lena nodded, purposefully brushing her nose against Kara’s cheek. “Mmhmm…” 

“Would you - would you mind if I did it again?” Kara asked, scarcely able to believe she wasn’t dreaming.

Lena tilted her face upward, just barely brushing her lips against Kara’s. “I would love nothing more.” 


	12. Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have it, the final installment of this holiday collection. Thank you all for your kind comments and compliments throughout the month; every one of them makes me smile. A very happy new year to you guys! May 2020 bring us the Supercorp endgame we want and deserve.

Alex burrowed her face into her scarf and grumbled, “Whose idea was this again?” 

“You sister-in-law’s, whom you love very dearly,” Kelly responded with a laugh. Her breath created a cloud of steam in front of them. “C’mon, it’s kind of fun.” 

“I don’t see why we couldn’t celebrate New Year’s Eve on the beach with sparklers or something. Or watched the Metropolis ball drop on TV from the comfort of our warm living room.” 

“Because we do that every year, and  _ you _ were the one who wanted to come see Jonathan again before he got too big for cuddling. So we were headed in this direction anyway,” Kara chirped behind them, walking arm in arm with Lena. 

“It’s just a little winter, Alex. Surely you’re tough enough for one night out in the cold,” Lena challenged. 

Alex turned and let out an exaggerated sighed, sending another cloud of water vapor into the air. “I’ll remember this the next time you get a sunburn, Luthor.” 

“That’s Luthor-Danvers to you!” Kara and Lena said in unison. 

Both Kelly and Alex groaned good-naturedly. “Yeah, okay, we get it. You’re cute and married and spending New Year’s Eve together out on the snowy streets of Metropolis,” Alex said with a smirk. 

“Don’t act like you don’t think it’s magical and romantic too,” Kelly teased, looping her mittened hand through Alex’s. 

Alex scrunched her nose and smiled down at her wife. “Yeah, yeah, okay,” she conceded. 

The four women walked in comfortable silence, strolling down the brightly lit sidewalks and taking in the sights. The streets were already beginning to fill with people making their way to the square for the big ball drop at midnight. Music drifted around them with the snowflakes, and food vendors stood on every corner, taking advantage of the crowds. 

“Will you two stay down here the whole night or head back to the hotel?” Kara asked after a while. 

“Back to the hotel, I think,” Kelly replied. “We can watch the fireworks from the balcony.” 

“Or from inside our room. You know, through the window,” Alex suggested lightly. 

Kelly leaned into Alex’s side. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” 

Lena pulled back the sleeve of her coat to look at her watch. “You may want to start heading back now then. The longer the night goes on, the more crowded the streets get, and the harder it is to navigate through everyone. Trust me.” 

The noise level had certainly begun to rise above that of the usual city commotion, so everyone exchanged hugs before Alex and Kelly went on their way. 

“Text me when you get back!” Kara called after them. 

Alex turned and shouted, “We will! You two be careful too. We’ll see you in the morning!” 

They all smiled and waved after one another before Alex and Kelly disappeared into the growing throngs of excited people. 

“So,” Lena started as she and Kara resumed meandering down the block, “where would you like to ring in the new year?” 

Kara looked around, enjoying the happy vibration of celebrations, but also beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by all the sounds. “I was thinking maybe a bird’s eye view? Just you and me?” 

“Sounds perfect.” 

Lena led Kara through the streets of Metropolis, laughing and pointing out her favorite old haunts while stopping for street tacos and hot chocolate along the way. She noticed Kara gradually relaxing as they got closer to the edge of the crowds and the noise of the city softened to a dull hum around them. 

They reached an empty residential block and paused. 

“It’s almost time,” Lena said. 

“You’re sure you won’t get too cold?” Kara asked gently. 

“Darling, you’re a living space heater. I’ll be fine.” 

Kara smiled and kissed Lena’s nose, rosy from the winter air. “All right then, up we go.” 

She drew Lena to her and slid one arm behind her legs. Lena looped her arms around Kara’s neck. Slowly, careful to avoid any cameras covering the night’s festivities, Kara rose into the air. Metropolis dropped away, replaced instead by the gentle swirling of the night breeze. 

The city glowed beneath them, bright and alive. Still, even from their altitude, Kara could hear the crowds begin to count down together. 

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” 

Lena nuzzled her face into the crook of Kara’s neck, happy to have this moment all to themselves. 

“Five, four, three…” 

Kara held Lena tightly, listening to her heart beat in time with the chants. 

“Two, one!” The city erupted in a cheer and flash of color as fireworks announced the end of one year and the beginning of another. 

“Happy New Year, darling,” Lena murmured against Kara’s warm skin. 

Kara nudged Lena and bent her head to kiss her wife softly. “And here’s to many, many more.”


End file.
